The House has voted to allow some New Hampshire employers to exclude contraceptive coverage from health plans if they have religious objections to birth control.

The House voted 205-134 Tuesday to add a provision to an unrelated Senate bill to add the exemption to businesses partly or wholly owned by a religious society and for employers formed for a religious intent.

The Senate voted 19-4 last month to effectively kill a broader similar measure championed by Republican House Speaker William O'Brien.

The 12-year-old law O'Brien proposed to change requires coverage of contraceptives if other drugs also are covered. Employers can avoid state mandates altogether by self-insuring.

The Senate has the option of killing the bill, passing it or asking the House to negotiate a compromise.